Lacoste shocks and delights consumers by partnering with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) who, for the past 70 years, “has been the global authority on the status of the natural world and the measures needed to safeguard it.” Through its SOS (Save Our Species) partnership, IUCN is “coordinating frontline projects worldwide in order to help ensure the long-term survival of threatened species, their habitats and the people who depend on them.”

The classic emblem for Lacoste has been in place since 1927: the crocodile, a 91-year-old tradition that was chosen as a reference to French tennis champion René Lacoste’s nickname — the moniker was given to him for his tenacity on the court. Today, the Lacoste logo still symbolizes the will and commitment the brand invests into each action it undertakes. From this year, Lacoste will support IUCN’s SOS partnership to help fight the extinction crisis by championing 10 of the most threatened species in the world annually and by featuring them on 10 limited edition polo shirts, where the iconic crocodile leaves its historic spot to those animals. The brand decided to only produce enough polos to correspond with the number of animals still remaining for each species as estimated by IUCN species experts. This campaign was generated to both raise awareness for these endangered species as well as to raise funds for the SOS program so that it can continue to care for these and all species as well as combat the deforestation and poaching that threaten so many aspects of our wildlife.

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This year the 10 species to be featured are the vaquita with 30 animals remaining, the Burmese roofed turtle with 40 remaining, the northern sportive lemur with 50 remaining, the Javan rhino with 67 remaining, the cao-vit gibbon with 150 remaining, the kakapo parrot with 157 remaining, the California condor with 231 remaining, the saola with 250 remaining, the Sumatran tiger with 350 remaining and the Anegada ground iguana with 450 remaining. Learn more about each endangered animal at www.saveourspecies.org.

By buying polos, you will be helping the IUCN and Lacoste in the global fight for wildlife conservation. “By saving species we are saving our planet.”